Fence structure



Sept. 29, 1959 .1. BARNES ET AL 2,906,506

FENCE STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 4, 1957 U t d S e P e FENCE STRUCTURE John L. Barnes and Milton W. Fisher,

Fort Lauderrlale, Fla.

Application February 4, 1957, Serial No. 637,966

2 Claims. (Cl. 256-19) This invention is a fence structure for outdoor use, an object of which is to provide a fence of such character as will enable its ready erection, which may be so formed and arranged that its height may be increased or reduced as may be desired, which, while involving spaced rails or panels, view through the fence is screened or obstructed and yet which permits the free passage of air through the fence.

A further object is to provide prefabricated elements to consttiute the completed fence, including supporting uprights or posts and panels or rails to connect the same, the construction and arrangement permitting the ready application of the rails securely between posts without the necessity of extraneous securing means for the rails and yet which possesses a high degree of strength and endurance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fence structure preferably having its components or elements preformed of concrete or similar rigid material, wherein the posts and the rails are formed in such manner as to enable these elements to be quickly and easily assembled in proper relationship without the exercise of unusual skill and without requiring special tools or implements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a prefabricated fence structure which, when erected, presents a neat and attractive appearance, which embodies all the features and advantages of a rail fence and yet which acts effectively as a screen preventing vision through the fence.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fence structure embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, of one of the posts utilized in the construction of the improved fence,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale taken substantially upon line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention, the posts and rails which constitute the elements of the fence structure may be made of any desired material such as wood, synthetic materials or of concrete. The invention in the present instance is disclosed as'being made of concrete material which may be provided with embedded rods or stays for reeneforcement purposes.

The fence post of the invention is indicated generally at 5 and in the present instance constitutes a shaft of the desired height and of rectangular cross section. If desired, reenforcing rods 6 are embedded lengthwise of the post for reenforcing purposes. This post will be A 2,906,506 Patented Sept. 29, 1959 seated and firmly embedded in a base 7 of concrete material whose upper surface will terminate adjacent to the ground surface upon which the fence is to be erected.

The side faces 8 of the post are provided with channels 9 of identical shape and construction and spaced apart equal distances lengthwise of the post. .These channels or recesses are formed in the side faces of the post at the time it is castand each is substantially of obtuse-angled triangular shape as illustrated. These recesses have their bases opening out to the front face10 of the post and provide upper and lower walls extending from the post front face in a downward direction partway across the side face of the post with their apicies 11 terminating near but spaced inwardly from the rear face 12 of the post. The distance between the bases 13 of these obtuseangled triangles is substantially less than the breadth o the base 13..

It.will. be understood that .thesechannels or recesses are substantially shallow and are arranged in alignment with one another upon opposite sides of the post throughout the length of the latter. It will be understood that the post may be of any desired height, within reason, in order that the fence may be short or tall as desired.

It will also be understood that the posts will be spaced apart a distance sufficient to accommodate between them the rails or bars for the fence and therefore the posts should be erected so that their channels will be in substantialhorizontal alignment so that the connecting rails will be substantially level.

The rails to be interposed between the posts are indicated generally at 14 and, like the posts, are of prefabricated concrete material, each being provided, if desired, with one or more longitudinally disposed reenforcing rods as indicated at 15. These rails will be straight throughout their lengths and in cross section will correspond precisely to the shape and size of the channels or recesses 9. Therefore, each of the obtuse-angled rails will have its base 16 of a width corresponding to the base 13 of the channel in which the rail is accommodated, while the other surfaces of the rail end will correspond precisely with the shape of the remaining sides of the obtuse-angled walls of the channels.

In erecting the fence, the posts 8 are embedded at their lower ends a proper distance within the ground or within the supporting bases 7 perpendicular to the surface of the ground and spaced apart a distance such as to snugly and tightly accommodate the ends of the rails in their respective channels. When the posts have been properly erected, being careful that their channels are in proper horizontal alignment, the various rails are applied by inserting their apex portions in their respective slots or channels of the posts. Inasmuch as the channels incline at a substantially sharp angle downwardly, the rails by reason of their weight will slide downwardly with their ends in tight contact with the walls of the channels. The base portions 16 of the rails will terminate flush with the front faces 10 of the post, and due to the fact that the base portions 16 are wider than the distance between channels, a substantial and pleasing flat surface is presented to view. This arrangement gives the effect of a relatively wide and desirable panel or bar structure. It will also be observed that the angularity of the obtuseangled triangles is such that the apicies thereof 11 are disposed in a horizontal plane below the upper inner end of the obtuse-angled channels 9, so that when the rails are applied view through the fence in a horizontal direction is obscured. Nevertheless, there is s'ufficient distance between the spaced rails to permit free circulation of air at all times.

In instances where the prefabricated fence is of concrete material, the rails being relatively heavy, it will perhaps be entirely unnecessary to provide extra means for securing and holding the panels or rails in place, the weight being sufiicient for this purpose under most circumstances.

I claim: a t

1.. A'sectional fence structure comprising a plurality of posts arranged in vertical parallel spaced relationship and having spaced channels in. their opposite side faces, said channels extending partway across said post sides in a downward direction with their walls in converging relationship, and rails of cross section corresponding to the size and shape of said channels interposed between said posts and having their ends engaged in said channels, the outer faces of said rails being of a width corresponding to the entrance width of said channels and disposed in the same plane with the front faces of said posts.

2. A sectional fence structure comprising a plurality of base members of concrete construction embedded in the ground in spaced relationship with their upper edges terminating substantially in the same plane-with the ground surface, a post for each base arranged in vertical position with its lower end embedded in said base, each post having spaced channels in their opposite side faces,

said channels extending partway across said post sides in a downward direction with their walls in converging relationship, and rails of cross section corresponding to the size and shape of said channels interposed between said posts and having their ends engaged in said channels, the outer faces of said rails being of a width corresponding to the entrance width of said channels and disposed in the same plane with the front faces of said posts, whereby said postsare rigidly maintained in upstanding parallelism in saidbases and in support of said rails.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNIT ED STATES PATENTS 984,711 Stanley Feb. 21, 1911 1,548,729 Miller Aug. 4, 1925 2,662,739 Fisher et al. Dec. 15, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 11 ,322 Great Britain Sept. 14, 1905 536,646 Great Britain May 22, 1941 

